Menu

Vick Street

The one hundred-eighth in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1930; 1 story; James Moore house; bungalow with high hip roof and distinctive wraparound porch; aluminum sided; Moore was a barber.”

In the 1925 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Small James barber W S Hines h303 N Vick and Small Maggie cook h303 N Vick [Is this James “Moore” above?]

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: owned and valued at $2000, barber James Small, 45; wife Maggie, 43; children James Jr., 9, and Kathryne, 7; and sister-in-law Dora Hawkins, 25, laundress.

The ninety-ninth in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “ca. 1945; 2 stories; gable-front house with bungalow type porch posts; aluminum-sided.”

Edgar H. Diggs Jr. died 21 December 1925 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 5 days old; was born to Edgar H. Diggs of Wayne County and Mary Grant of Statesville, N.C., and resided at 205 North Vick. He was buried in Diggs cemetery, Wayne County.

Edgar Grant Diggs registered for the World War II draft in 1945. Per his registration card, he was born 14 January 1927 in Wilson; his contact was Mary Diggs, 205 North Vick; and he was a student.

Preston Walter Diggs registered for the World War II draft in 1946. Per his registration card, he was born 27 September 1928 in Wilson; his contact was Mary Diggs, 205 North Vick; and he was a student at Mary Potter School, Oxford, North Carolina.

Edgar H. Diggs died 17 November 1970 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 1 August 1890 to Sula (last name unknown); was married to Mary Estella Grant; resided at 205 North Vick; and was a barber.

Mary Diggs died 22 February 1974 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 12 March 1900 to unknown parents; was a widow; resided at 205 North Vick; and was a retired teacher. Walter Preston Diggs of Washington, D.C., was informant.

The ninety-fifth in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this house is: “ca. 1930; 1 story; bungalow with gable roof and prominent gabled porch; aluminum-sided; builder said to be John Reid.”

In the 1925, 1928 and 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directories, nurse Hattie Grissom is listed at 203 North Vick.

Hattie Grissom Henry died 21 November 1930 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born in Wilson County to Preston Thorne of Edgecombe County and Eddia Adams of Greene County; resided at 203 North Vick; was a widow; and had worked in nursing. Lydia Coley was informant.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: tobacco factory stemmer Emma Artist, 60, widow, born in Robeson County, and daughter Virginia, 24, Wilson County teacher.

The ninety-second in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Though misnumbered #409, as described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District, this building is: “circa 1913; L-plan cottage which like #s 406-407 has front-facing gable in wing; built by J.R. [John Right] Reid.”

The fiftieth in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1930; 1 story; four-room square cottage with inset porch and bungalow type detail; popular version of this form; probably built by black speculator Benny Person.”

In 1942, James Nicholson registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he lived at 103 North Vick Street; was born 14 August 1901 in Duplin County; his contact was Mrs. C. Nicholson, 103 North Vick Street; and he worked for “Housing Project, NOY 4750, New River, Onslow County, N.C.”

On 31 May 1963, James L. Nicholson Sr. died at Mercy Hospital in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 14 August 1901 in Dublin [Duplin] County to Ed Nicholson Sr. and Annie Johnson; resided at 103 North Vick; and worked as a cab driver. Catherine Nicholson was informant.

The top photo appears to depict the 300 block of South Vick Street and the bottom is probably the 200 block on South Reid Street, which runs parallel to Vick to the immediate east.

The Reid Street were demolished in the mid-1990s as part of the redevelopment project that created a new working-class neighborhood of affordable homes called Freeman Place. As shown on the Bing.com map below, almost all of the housing stock in the wedge between Nash and Hines Street was razed. The houses standing now were built in Phases I, II and III of the project. The 200 block of South Reid, however, remains empty.

The 300 block of South Vick, just across Hines Street from Freeman Place, is largely intact, and the shotgun houses circled above are those in the 1988 photograph. After several years of virtual abandonment, they have recently undergone extensive renovation.

The seventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

In the Nomination Form, this house is described as built “ca. 1940; 1 1/2 stories; Nestus Freeman Rental House; locally unique dwelling with a small tower on the front facade and stone veneer; contributing stone fence; Freeman was a noted Wilson stonemason and businessman.”

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 204 Vick, Henry Spivey, 37, manager of cabins; wife Mary, 34; and children Louise, 15, Mary Lucile, 13, Vernell, 12, and James H., 10. Henry and the older two children were reported born in Spring Hope (Nash County), Mary in Kinston (Lenoir County), and the younger children in Wilson. The Spiveys paid $14/month rent.

In 1942, James Henry Spivey of 204 North Vick Street registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County: